Antara News·Indonesia·Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 04:22 PM

VP demands healthcare support alongside wildfire suppression

Translate

Tumpal Andani, Raka Adji

Banjarbaru, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has called for wildfire suppression efforts to run alongside public healthcare services to ensure the needs of affected residents are met.

Speaking during a visit to Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, on Thursday, he emphasized that the safety and needs of local communities must be prioritized throughout the fire response process.

"Fire suppression and resident support must run side by side, especially when it comes to medical treatment, mask availability, vitamins, water, logistics, and access to education," he said.

He urged officials to ensure vulnerable groups receive adequate attention, noting that children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with disabilities face greater protection needs when air quality deteriorates due to wildfire smoke.

According to the vice president, healthcare services must remain accessible, as smoke exposure poses significant health risks, particularly to those susceptible to respiratory issues from worsening air quality.

Gibran also emphasized the importance of maintaining the continuity of educational services to ensure children's access to schooling remains uninterrupted, even when environmental conditions require special measures to safeguard students.

In this regard, he urged local governments to secure adequate supplies of essentials required by residents.

Therefore, the vice president said, wildfire response must extend beyond extinguishing blazes to ensuring that residents in affected areas receive essential protection and services throughout the emergency.

Forest and land fires have broken out across various regions in Indonesia, including Kalimantan, as the country faces a more intense dry season triggered by a strong El Niño phenomenon.

The government has set six provinces as priorities: Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Riau, South Sumatra, and Jambi.

View the original on Antara News →

KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.